the elimination of state taxes that typically apply to gasoline and can amount to 47 cents, or more, per gallon of fuel. The US federal tax exemption that keeps ethanol economically competitive with petroleum fuel products is due to expire in 2007, but this exemption may be extended through legislative action. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the price of E85 rose to nearly on par with the cost of 87 octane gasoline in many states in the United States, and was for a short time the only fuel available when gasoline was sold out, but within four weeks of Katrina, the price of E85 had fallen once more to a 20% to 35% lower cost than 87 octane gasoline. Ethanol has less energy content than gasoline. One gallon of gasoline has the same energy as 1.4 gallons of E85. Vehicles For the 2009 automobile year, General Motors offered 23 different engine/model Flex Fuel vehicle combinations. Ford Motor company offered eight models, Chrysler offered 11 models, and Toyota offered just two. Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) has one model (C300) as well, the only one amongst the luxury car makers. In the US, Honda does not offer any E85 powered flexfuel vehicles in 2009. GM has stated a commitment to dedicate 50% of its production to Flex-Fuel E85 capable vehicles by the 2012 model year. Also by 2012 all products of British luxury car-maker Bentley Motors will be Flex-Fuel using a patented fuel-system and an in-line fuel sensor. As of 2008, there were an estimated 7 million Flex-Fuel capable vehicles on the road in the United States. A recent GM study found that roughly 70 percent of its flex-fuel vehicle owners did not know they could use E85, and fewer than 10 percent did so. Since 2012, the IndyCar Series has utilized E85. Flex fuel conversion kits A flex fuel conversion kit is a kit that allows a conventional equipment manufactured vehicle to be altered to run on either petrol, E85 or any combination thereof. They are legal in every state except California, due to that state having its own clean air standards. See also E85 Ethanol fuel in the United States Flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) References http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/03/10/brazil.ethanol.example.ap/index.html External links E85 refueling location finder Ethanol fuel Biofuel in the United States